Following Shakhtar Donetsk’s 3-0 victory over AZ, Arda Turan praised Guus Hiddink. When asked after the match which coach he had learned the most from, the Turkish manager named Hiddink.
On Thursday evening, the Ukrainians secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over AZ in the Conference League quarter-finals. The return leg will be played next Thursday in Alkmaar, but Leeroy Echteld’s side faces a daunting task to reach the semi-finals.
Turan is currently in his second spell as head coach; before that he spent three seasons managing Eyüpspor in his home country, and he has been in charge at Shakhtar since the start of the campaign.
The 39-year-old Turk masterminded Thursday’s comfortable win. In the post-match press conference he was asked which coach had taught him the most. “I’ve learnt a lot from various coaches, but especially from Hiddink,” he replied.
The pair collaborated when Hiddink managed Turkey, and Turan recalls a pivotal moment: “His demeanour at half-time during our match against Belgium was a very important lesson. He was always so calm.”
He also praised Diego Simeone, explaining, “I don’t have an Iniesta, Xavi, Kroos or Modric in my squad. I have to convince my players of the importance of defending, and they have to believe in that work.”
Despite the comfortable victory, Turan did not find it an easy match. “To be honest, it was a tough match. I don’t think the score accurately reflects the ninety minutes. In the first half, we couldn’t play the way we wanted against a 5-4-1 formation. AZ had more possession and their three-man defence regularly changed tactics, which caused us problems. After the break we stepped up our intensity.”